Registry Style Wedding Celebrant in Canberra (or Legals Only)
Want to get married without the big wedding?
Then you're in the right place. A registry style wedding (also called a Legals Only ceremony) is a simple, affordable way to make your marriage legal without the expense, planning and fuss of a traditional wedding.
I'm Billie, a Canberra marriage celebrant, and I'll look after the paperwork, write you a short ceremony that actually sounds like the two of you, and keep the whole thing easy. No venue to book, no guest list to wrangle, no seating chart. You bring the smiles, I'll bring the paperwork.
Inclusive, LGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse-friendly.
Ceremonies held across Ngunnawal and Ngambri Country. I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of this land and pay my respects to Elders past and present.
WHAT IT IS
All the legal weight. None of the fuss.
You might know it as a legal only wedding, a registry wedding or simply a quick, simple wedding. Whatever you call it, it's a genuine, fully legal marriage. You'll say your vows, swap rings if you'd like to, and sign the register, all in around five to ten minutes with just the two of you and your witnesses. It's not a shortcut version of a wedding. It's a different kind of wedding, for people who know exactly what matters to them.
Some couples choose it because a big ceremony was never the plan. Others are eloping quietly before a larger celebration later, working around paperwork timelines, marrying for the second time and wanting something low-key, or simply want the legal side sorted without the cost of a full wedding. Whatever brought you here, your ceremony still gets written properly, just briefly.
Short doesn't mean
impersonal
Even a five-minute ceremony is written around the two of you, not read out of a standard script. I'll ask about your story, find the bits worth saying out loud, and keep it short, warm and a little bit fun. That's the same belief every one of my ceremonies is built on.
~5 to 10 mins
Typical length of the ceremony itself
2 witnesses
Required by law. I can provide these if you don't have your own
1 month notice
Minimum for lodging your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) before the ceremony
WHAT'S INCLUDED
Everything a legally binding ceremony needs
①
One planning conversation
We'll meet in person to plan your wording preferences and any small personal touches you'd like included.
②
A short, genuine ceremony
Fully custom, drafted from scratch around your relationship, not adapted from a template.
③
Witnesses provided if needed
Don't have two witnesses over 18 on hand? No problem, I can arrange them so nothing holds up your date.
④
Flexible, simple locations
Your home or garden, a quiet park, a small venue or somewhere that means something to you. Wherever suits you, just let me know and we'll work it out.
⑤
All the legal paperwork
Notice of Intended Marriage, declarations and lodgement handled properly, before and after.
⑥
Fast, simple booking
No venue, catering or run sheet to coordinate, so it's often the quickest ceremony type to lock in a date for. The legal minimum is one month's notice, so the sooner your paperwork is lodged, the sooner you're married.
HOW IT WORKS
How your wedding comes together
listen
I start with listening.
Even for a short ceremony, I want to know a little of your story. Not just your legal names and a date.
plan
I plan with care.
Paperwork, witnesses and location sorted early, so the day itself is completely stress-free.
honour
I honour what's real
A few sentences, or many, the ceremony reflects your relationship, not a default script.
PRICING
Simple, upfront pricing
FROM
$450
Wondering how much it costs to get married in Canberra? A registry style wedding starts from $450.
That includes your planning conversation, the ceremony itself and all the legal paperwork.
Want witnesses, a special spot or a few extra touches? Easily arranged. Give me a call or email me and I'll give you one clear price, with no surprises.
A $100 deposit secures your date, with the balance due just before the ceremony.
NOT SURE THIS IS THE ONE?
Every ceremony style, side by side
FROM $450* - YOU ARE HERE
Registry Style Wedding (Legals Only)
A short, five-minute ceremony with just the two of you and your witnesses. All the legal weight, none of the fuss.
FROM $600
Elopement
Up to 10 guests, personalised vows and ring exchange, almost anywhere within 80km of Canberra.
FROM $1100
Full Wedding Ceremony
No guest cap, two planning meetings, full vow support and an on-site rehearsal. The whole ceremony, built from scratch around you.
WHERE I CELEBRATE
Wherever suits you,
and the region I serve
Legals-only ceremonies don't need a booked venue. Some spots that work well:
Your home or garden
A quiet corner of a local park or reserve
The shores of Lake Burleigh Griffin
A registry-style room or small function space
If you'd rather marry at one of the venues I regularly work at (National Arboretum, Pialligo Estate, Yarralumla Woolshed, Hotel Realm or Gold Creek), that's possible too.
Areas I regularly travel to for legals-only ceremonies
Canberra & Braddon
Yarralumla
Queanbeyan, NSW
Southern Highlands & Berrima, NSW
Wider Canberra region
WHY COUPLES CHOOSE BILLIE
A Celebrant who actually listens
I'm a registered Civil Celebrant and proud member of the Celebrant Society, based in Canberra. A short ceremony still gets the same care as any other. The wording, the tone, and the pace are shaped around you, not pulled from a standard registry script.
-
LGBTQIA+ & same-sex wedding celebrant
-
Civil Celebrant, Celebrant Society member
-
Neurodiverse-friendly
-
Custom vows & scripts, every time
QUESTIONS
Registry Style Wedding (or Legals Only) FAQs
Signed, sealed and legal - no venue booking required.